Flasher ‘forgot’ to sign sex offenders register

A convicted flasher told a court he “forgot” the date he had to sign the sex offenders register and has been fined for missing the deadline.

Richard Johnson appeared before Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court this week and pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to comply with requirements imposed as punishment for previous offences.

In 2014 the 33-year-old of Hollington Way, Winstanley, was convicted of two offences of intentionally exposing genitals, using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause two females to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used against them.

He was required to sign on the sex offenders register each year for five years but missed his latest deadline in December.

It was during a routine interview with a probation officer 18 days later Johnson realised he had not done so, the court heard.

Probation officers told the court Johnson was now in a new relationship with a partner “who is aware of his past”.

Johnson, who represented himself at the hearing, told magistrates: “I do apologise, it has been a genuine oversight by me.

“It’s a date I didn’t think I would ever forget. I’m in a new relationship and I simply forgot.

“My heart sank when I realised (during the interview with probation officers) and I drove straight from the probation office to Wigan station to explain what had happened.

“I didn’t deliberately intend to miss the date and I have corrected this grave error.”

The court was also told Johnson had recorded his next signing date on three separate calendars to prevent it happening again.

He was ordered to pay a fine of £484, a £48 victim surcharge and prosecution costs of £85.